Meta delays ‘Phoenix’ mixed reality glasses release

Meta is delaying the release of its highly anticipated mixed reality headset, codenamed “Phoenix,” and will focus on next-generation devices and wearables over the next year.

In an internal memo, Reality Labs Vice President Maher Saba said the orders came from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who asked Reality Labs teams to focus on “higher quality experiences” and other efforts to make the company more sustainable. Saba clarified to employees that the extended delay was not because the device was receiving additional features, but rather to encourage teams to refine details.

Other Meta VR executives, including Reality Labs executives Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns, added that the decision would give them more “wiggle room” to finish the product, as Business Insider reports. “There’s a lot coming with tight release schedules and big changes to our core UX, and we won’t compromise to deliver a fully polished and reliable experience,” they wrote in another note.

The glasses are said to resemble Apple’s Vision Pro glasses, with a mask-like shape and an external computing puck that makes the unit extremely lightweight. Insiders say it will run on the same Horizon operating system as Meta’s Quest headsets.

Meta will instead aim for the release in 2026 of a “limited edition” wearable device, called “Malibu 2”, as well as a next-generation Meta Quest device. Aul and Cairns said the overhaul will include a major capability upgrade focused on immersive gaming.